UCLA 5 CS Long Beach 1 BASEBALL
PREVIEW vs. Cal State Fullerton Today 3 p.m. Goodwin
Field
By Scott Bair
Daily Bruin Contributor
Tuesday’s baseball game that matched the UCLA Bruins
against the Long Beach State 49ers was regionally televised on Fox
Sports, which, thanks to the Bruin defense, compiled all of its
sports report’s defensive highlights from one game.
The Bruin (25-12) defense played like a nine-person human
highlight reel, helping the pitching staff hold the 49ers (25-12)
to five hits in UCLA’s 5-1 victory.
 NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Sophomore Ben
Francisco makes it back to base safely during a game
against Arizona earlier this season. If the viewers at home
didn’t know what to expect from the Bruin defense, they found
out in the first inning.
With the bases loaded and one out, senior first baseman Eric
Reece charged the infield and snagged a tough grounder to bring
Jeremy Reed at the plate.
The Bruin defense helped starter Casey Janssen get out of tight
spots early on without giving up a single run. After the second,
Janssen settled down to retire the next six batters in order.
After the fourth, Janssen, who reached his pre-determined pitch
count of 60, left the game for senior Bobby Roe, a former starter
who has been hot since assuming his new role out of the bullpen.
Roe pitched five innings of one-run ball, locating his fastball and
using his breaking ball to keep the 49er hitters off balance.
“I had really good command of my fastball today, so I
started to work it both inside and out,” Roe said. “I
was trying to use it to get ground balls for my defense. Today, it
turned out to be effective.”
Going into the fifth, the Bruins gave Roe a three-run cushion
with clutch hits by junior left fielder John Campanella and senior
centerfielder Matt Pearl.
In the third, the two put hits together to notch the third Bruin
run. Pearl singled and moved to second on senior Brian
Baron’s base hit, where both were advanced into scoring
position. Campanella stepped up to the plate and slapped the ball
in between the first and second basemen, allowing Pearl to
score.
On his next turn at the plate, Campanella added another run to
the Bruin lead all by himself. He turned on a 3-2 offering from
pitcher Bo Ashabraner and drove it well over the right field
fence.
“I knew the pitcher was either to come in or he was going
to walk me,” Campanella said. “I just sat and waited
for something in the zone. He threw me a fastball up. I put a good
cut on it and the ball took off.”
But Roe’s fastball kept the 49ers from striking gold, and
his defense was there to back him up when they made contact. Third
baseman junior Randall Shelley picked him up in the sixth, making a
bare-handed grab to put out opposing third baseman Edgar Varela for
the third out. The play prevented Adam Kennedy from scoring.
Despite many Bruins making stellar defensive plays that night,
it was Pearl who stole the show. He made a diving catch in the
sixth to preserve the UCLA lead, charging at a full sprint to make
the spectacular grab.
Even with the crowd reeling and the lead safely intact,
Pearl’s acrobatic glovework was not finished. In the late
innings, Long Beach State hit a line drive to right-center that
seemed destined for a double. But a fully outstretched Pearl went
completely horizontal to make the catch.
“I was running for it and it just kept hanging up
there,” Pearl said. “I was really as stretched out as I
could get, and just watched the ball go into my glove. That was the
most memorable catch I’ve had all year.”
UCLA travels to No. 9 Cal State Fullerton today. Senior Jon
Brandt will be on the hill for the Bruins.